new sat 125

Abate

v. to become less strong, or to make something less strong

Abstract

adj. existing as an idea, feeling, or quality, not as a material object

Abysmal

adj. very bad

Adversarial

adj. involving opposition or disagreement

Agitate

v. to argue energetically, esp. in public, in order to achieve a particular type of change

Benevolent

adj. kind and helpful

Beguile

v. to charm, attract, or interest, sometimes in order to deceive

Bereft

adj. having to do without something or someone and suffering from the loss

Blandishments

n. pleasant words or actions used in order to persuade someone to do something

Bilk

v. to get money from someone unfairly or dishonestly

Cajole

v. to persuade someone to do something they might not want to do, by pleasant talk and (sometimes false) promises

Callous

adj. unkind, cruel, and without sympathy or feeling for other people

Calumny

n. (the act of making) a statement about someone that is not true and is intended to damage the reputation of that person

Camaraderie

n. a feeling of friendliness towards people that you work or share an experience with

Congruity

n. the quality of being the same as, or in agreement with, other facts or principles

Dearth

n. an amount of something that is too small: a lack

Debauch

v. to destroy or damage something so that it is no longer considered good or moral

Demagogue

n. a person, esp. a political leader, who wins support by exciting people’s emotions rather than giving them reasons

Denigrate

v. to say that someone or something is not good or important

Diaphanous

adj. A diaphanous substance, especially cloth, is so delicate and thin that you can see through it

Eclectic

adj. consisting of different types, methods, styles, etc.

Ebullient

adj. excited and enthusiastic

Egregious

adj. (of something bad) extreme; beyond any reasonable degree

Embezzlement

n. the crime of secretly taking money that is in your care or that belongs to an organization or business you work for

Emollient

n. a cream or liquid that makes dry or sore skin softer or less painful

Flagrant

adj. shocking because of being so bad and so obvious

Forbearance

n. the quality of being patient and being able to forgive someone or control yourself in a difficult situation

Fortuitous

adj. (esp. of something to your advantage) happening by chance

Fractious

adj. tending to argue, fight, or complain, and hard to control

Fetter

v. to keep someone within limits or stop them from making progress

Garrulous

adj. having the habit of talking a lot, esp. about unimportant things

Gourmand

n. a person who enjoys eating large amounts of food

Grandiloquent

adj. A grandiloquent style or way of using language is complicated in order to attract admiration and attention, especially in order to make someone or something seem important

Gratuitous

adj. not necessary; with no reasonable cause

Goulash

n. a dish originally from Hungary consisting of meat cooked in a sauce with vegetables and paprika (= a red spice)

Hegemony

n. (especially of countries) the position of being the strongest and most powerful and therefore able to control others

Heterogeneous

adj. consisting of different parts or types

Hapless

adj. unlucky

Hoard

v. to collect a large supply of something, more than you need now, often because you think you will not be able to get it later

Hokey

adj. too emotional or artificial to be believed

Idiosyncratic

adj. having strange or unusual habits, ways of behaving, or features

Impecunious

adj. having very little money

Inchoate

adj. only recently or partly formed, or not completely developed or clear

Incumbent

adj. officially having the named position

Intransigent

adj. refusing to change your opinions or behavior

Jubilant

adj. feeling or expressing great happiness, especially because of a success

Jacaranda

n. any of a genus (= group of related plants) of tropical American trees with attractive, usually purple flowers

Jumbotron

n. a very large video screen like those used in sports stadiums (= large areas of land with rows of seats and often no roof where people watch sports)

Jabber

v. to speak or say something quickly in a way that is difficult to understand

Juxtapose

v. to put things that are not similar next to each other

Kibosh

n. to spoil or destroy an idea or plan

Keloid

n. a scar that grows bigger and more lumpy than the wound it is healing

Knell

n. the sound of a bell rang slowly to announce a death

Kleptomania

n. a very strong wish to steal that you cannot control, especially without any need or purpose, usually considered to be a type of mental illness

Knave

n. a dishonest man

Laconic

adj. using very few words to express what you mean

Largesse

n. willingness to give money, or money given to poor people by rich people

Legerdemain

n. skillful hiding of the truth in order to trick people

Licentious

adj. (especially of a person or their behavior) sexual in an uncontrolled and socially unacceptable way

Linchpin

n. the most important member of a group or part of a system, that holds together the other members or parts or makes it possible for them to operate as intended

Maelstrom

n. a situation in which there is great confusion, violence, and destruction

Maudlin

adj. feeling sad and sorry for yourself, especially after you have drunk a lot of alcohol

Mawkish

adj. showing emotion or love in an awkward or silly way

Maverick

n. a person who thinks and acts in an independent way, often behaving differently from the expected or usual way

Mendacious

adj. not telling the truth

Negligent

adj. not being careful or giving enough attention to people or things that are your responsibility

Nadir

n. the worst moment, or the moment of least hope and least achievement

Neophyte

n. someone who has recently become involved in an activity and is still learning about it

Noisome

adj. very unpleasant and offensive

Noxious

adj. Something, especially a gas or other substance, that is noxious is poisonous or very harmful

Obdurate

adj. extremely determined to act in a particular way and not to change despite what anyone else says

Obfuscate

v. to make something less clear and harder to understand, especially intentionally

Obstreperous

adj. difficult to deal with and noisy

Officious

adj. too eager to tell people what to do and having too high an opinion of your own importance

Ostensible

adj. appearing or claiming to be one thing when it is really something else

Palliate

v. to reduce the bad effects of something

Paradigm

n. a model of something, or a very clear and typical example of something

Pariah

n. a person who is not accepted by a social group, especially because they are not liked, respected, or trusted

Paucity

n. the fact that there is too little of something

Pejorative

adj. expressing disapproval or suggesting that something is not good or is of no importance

Quaint

adj. attractive because of being unusual and especially old-fashioned

Quixotic

adj. having or showing ideas that are different and unusual but not practical or likely to succeed

Quandary

n. a state of not being able to decide what to do about a situation in which you are involved

Quibble

v. to argue about, or say you disapprove of, something that is not important

Quiescence

n. the state of being temporarily quiet and not active

Recalcitrant

adj. (of a person) unwilling to obey orders or to do what should be done, or (of an animal) refusing to be controlled

Redoubtable

adj. very strong, especially in character; producing respect and a little fear in others

Relegate

v. to put someone or something into a lower or less important rank or position

Reprieve

n. an official order that stops or delays the punishment, especially by death, of a prisoner

Rescind

v. to make a law, agreement, order, or decision no longer have any (legal) power

Sanctimonious

adj. acting as if morally better than others

Sanguine

adj. (of someone or someone’s character) positive and hoping for good things

Scurrilous

adj. expressing unfair or false criticism that is likely to damage someone’s reputation

Serendipity

n. the fact of finding interesting or valuable things by chance

Sobriety

n. the state of being sober

Tangential

adj. of or along a tangent

Torpid

adj. not active; moving or thinking slowly, especially as a result of being lazy or feeling that you want to sleep

Trenchant

adj. severe, expressing strong criticism or forceful opinions

Trite

adj. expressed too often to be interesting or seem sincere

Truculent

adj. unpleasant and likely to argue a lot